Nikita Season 3 Episode 10 – Brave New World

Synopsis: Michael gives up his position as a field agent to run operations. Nikita goes on a solo mission in hopes of a medical miracle for Michael. And Fletcher has a surprise from the President.

Flashback to a few weeks ago when Michael was pinned under a burning car. Nikita had to cut off his hand to save his life.

Nikita wakes up from the bad memory and looks at the empty bed beside her.

Birkhoff is searching for Heidecker, the man behind some of Division’s high end tech. Nikita walks in, ancsious to find him. Birkhoff tells Nikita he remembered that Heidecker used to come into Division for followup visits of test subjects. So he has tracked down what appears to be a current test subject, Kosta Beciraj, Heidecker is due to visit. And shows Nikita some photos of what appear to be Kosta growing a new leg. Kosta is the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo. Nikita intends to grab Heidecker, she tells Birkhoff it will be off the books but she has to tell Michael.

Nikita finds Michael speaking with Ryan Fletcher, recently back from a meeting with the President. Ryan informs Nikita that he has asked Michael to assume a permanent role running operations. Michael seems happy about it, moving on with his life, and it is similar to the role he had under Percy. Michael leaves to go to operations. Nikita decides not to tell Michael but asks Fletcher for some time off.

Birkhoff is showing Nikita a portable ultrasound she can use to examine Kosta’s leg, though he jokes about using it on her head as she has suffered some kind of brain damage for going solo on the mission. Birkhoff asks her about calling Owen or Alex. However, Owen is still recovering from rib injuries and Alex is out of town with Sean and she doesn’t want to take Alex away from that. And Michael appears to be adjusting and doesn’t want to give him false hope. Birkhoff continues to caution her against going after Heidecker and the men behind him, but she insists they should be the ones afraid.

Pristina, Kosovo. Nikita confronts Kosta’s mistress. She finds the mistress wants away from Kosta and has no reluctance to help her, suggesting Nikita just shoot him. Nikita offers to get her a new identity in exchange for her help in luring Kosta in.

Kosta leaves his two guards below and goes upstairs to meet his mistress. Nikita knocks him out with a sedative and sends the mistress to pick up her new identity package at the airport. She then scans Kosta’s leg and finds the bone has been replaced with carbon fiber and new tissue grown around it. Birkhoff makes a reference to Terminator. Nikita injects Kosta with a compound to cause an infection requiring a visit from Heidecker.

Kosta’s house. He sends a driver to pick up a reluctant Heidecker at the airport.

Division. Michael asks Birkhoff if he knows where Nikita went. Birkhoff replies that he thought she went to a spa-thing with Alex. But Alex walks in, “Or maybe not.” Birkhoff replies, “You’re supposed to be out of town.” “Sorry to expose your web of lies…His sister cancelled.” Birkhoff steps away from his desk to talk to Michael. Alex overrides his hot-key app and restores the hidden windows with Heidecker and Kosta’s information. Birkhoff reveals the reason behind Nikita’s solo mission.

Kosovo. Nikita is outside monitoring Heidecker’s meeting with Kosta. Heidecker insists he’s not a doctor he only observes and collects data. Kosta insists he stay and draws a gun. Nikita reports to Birkhoff that Kosta is crazier than they thought and she’s going in to get Heidecker. Michael is on comm and tells her to get out, “It’s too dangerous. And you’re alone in there.” Nikita insists she can’t let Heidecker die.

Heidecker notices Nikita outside a window and plays along with Kosta to buy time. Nikita surprises Kosta and knocks him out. She leaves with Heidecker. Flood lights turn on and they are outnumbered and surrounded by Kosta’s men.

Division. The team is walking through tactical to operations. Ryan is up to speed on Nikita’s solo mission but is not happy about the delicate politics with Kosovo. Michael asks, “Why didn’t you stop her?” Birkhoff retorts, “Please remind me the last time anyone successfully stopped Nikki from doing anything? Ever?” Alex replies, “He has a point.” They are arguing over the situation when Birkhoff picks up Nikita on comm again. They listen as an Heidecker tries to control the situation with an upset Kosta who thinks Nikita is his bodyguard. The team back at Division is surprised when Heidecker states, “If you harm her I won’t help you.” Alex realizes Heidecker is buying time. Michael clenches his prosthetic hand and walks out, “You come up with a plan. I’ll call you when I get there.” Birkhoff says, “I gather his plan is: Step 1 fly to Kosovo. Step 2, kick ass.” Alex follows Michael, Fletcher tells her to take backup with her.

Birkhoff and Fletcher are still listening when they hear Kosta order the borders closed. Ryan realizes there’s no way to keep it contained now. He and Birkhoff walk to his office. Fletcher is concerned it will blow back on Division and the President will go through with her clean sweep of Division. Birkhoff remarks, “Beginning to understand why Percy made the black boxes. Government has a trigger on you, you put a trigger on them.” Ryan sits up, “I wonder how Percy would deal with this?” “He’d get ahead of it. Spin something. Percy called it ‘controlling the narrative’.” Ryan calls Danforth and questions the situation in Kosovo, planting the seeds of mystery. Birkhoff has a concerned look on his face, realizing how easily Fletcher just lied.

Kosovo. Nikita and Heidecker are locked in a cage behind the house, where Kosta used to keep his pet tiger. After the guards leave Nikita questions why Heidecker saved her. He replies that he recognized her tactics as Division and and felt she was his greatest chance of escape. Knowing the trouble she went through to find him, Heidecker quickly makes an offer of his services in return for his escape. Nikita tells him one of their agents lost his right hand. Heidecker replies that the men he works for are the ones that made the leg and he’s more of sales rep. He describes a bit about the technology and insists they can make Michael a new hand.

Heidecker and Nikita give Kosta a shopping list of items they say will allow them to make an antidote for his leg.

Division. Ryan receives a call from Danforth about Kosovo. Ryan suggests another CIA assassination attempt on Kosta. Danforth can’t risk the CIA, stating it would need to be a clean hit. Invisible. Ryan projects his reluctance but allows Danforth to suggest and authorize a hit by Division; now Nikita’s rogue mission is covered.

Nikita and Heidecker are working on some mixture. Nikita reveals more of how Michael’s hand was lost and how she cauterized it while waiting for medical support. Nikita says, “I don’t think I’ll ever get the sound of his screams out of my head.” “When you see him whole again. You will.”

Michael and Alex lead a three man team to the compound. Ryan informs them a kill order is sanctioned on Kosta. Michael replies, “I didn’t think Division did kill missions anymore.” “Consider this the last one.” Michael and Alex are reluctant but move on.

The three operatives deal with the guards while Michael and Alex head to the stables for Nikita and Heidecker.

Nikita hears the gunfire. Heidecker’s mixture is explosive. They use it to break out of the cage during the distraction.

Michael encounters a couple guards, one attacks with a knife and Michael is able to catch the blade with his robo-hand and disable the guard. Then takes down the second guard. He looks at his right hand for a moment.

Nikita takes down several guards and heads out with Heidecker, she’s soon surprised to see Michael. Heidecker notices the prototype prosthetic hand. They make their way to the front of the house. Michael tells Nikita to keep Kosta distracted but not to kill him. He then orders Alex into position. Alex shoots Kosta’s second in command then picks up his gun and shoots Kosta between the eyes. She reports it’ll look like they killed each other. Nikita simply states, “Cover story?” Michael confirms.

Division. Ryan looks somewhat relieved and cofirms with Birkhoff that all traces have been removed. He reports to Danforth, “Tell the President it is done.”

Alex extracts with the team. Nikita and Michael head to the airport with Heidecker.

On the road. Heidecker gives Michael some information for Birkhoff to improve his current prosthetic. Michael smiles briefly when Heidecker pronounces him a good candidate for the advanced hand regeneration.

Airport. The three get out of his vehicle. Heidecker realizes his man did not follow his orders in stowing the cargo. Nikita and Michael see a number of kids through the windows. Heidecker tries to explain that everyone pays what they can and how important real world testing is for the greater good. Michael and Nikita are both disturbed by what they see. Heidecker draws a gun on Nikita when he realizes he’s losing the argument. Michael calls out a warning and Nikita kills Heidecker. She looks at Michael with a pained expression.

Washington D.C. Ryan is waiting under an overpass when Danforth arrives. Danforth congratulates him and states that he and the President were impressed, “Stroke of genius.” Fletcher questions why he couldn’t have said that over the phone. Danforth hands Fletcher a briefcase, “We’d like to have a serious conversation about Division’s future.”

Division. Nikita finds Michael with everything he could find on Heidecker spread across Birkhoff’s space. Nikita starts to apologize about Kosovo. But Michael stops her, “You gave me hope.” Michael plans to find the people behind Heidecker. Nikita’s reluctant to trust them. Michael states, “We’ll take what we need. And we’ll burn their house down. Whatever it takes.”

Nikita, Michael, Birkhoff, and Alex are all waiting when Fletcher returns from his meeting with the President and Danforth. “She was so impressed. She’s asked us to look into a few other matters.” The team is not happy. Division was only supposed to exist to eliminate the rogue agents; not take on new missions. Ryan replies, “It’s four files. We take care of them and maybe that’s the end of it.” Nikita states, “No. Not the end. This is how it begins.”

While I feel bad for the team getting new assignments it should make for some more interesting missions. Where did Amanda go again? Apparently Alex is done with her drug rehab, don’t think I heard any mention of that actually ending. How about Sonya? She really got into the middle of things and now she’s left out again. Only thing I can think is budget concerns. Otherwise a bit more of an appearance by Sonya would be good. And perhaps a scene or two of Amanda plotting some master plan. With the new Die Hard coming out (Nikita was in the last Die Hard
movie, Live Free or Die Hard [Blu-ray]
) be cool to see Bruce Willis in a cameo Maybe Nikita could drop him down an elevator shaft.